House medical staff at the PEH – not the Bridge
I WAS concerned on reading your paper and seeing that our States is considering buying houses on the Leale’s Yard [development] for essential workers. What an inept consideration, but fairly typical of our States. After 50 years as an architect in Guernsey this would be a wrong decision for the following reasons:
1. The States is appointed by the people to look after the people, their wellbeing, their futures and their assets (property). They are not investors giving money or guarantees to private enterprises (i.e. such as Aurigny and Condor) or for developers/speculators to use.
2. Leale’s Yard is below existing high tides and with increasing tides the Braye du Val will flood. Spare cash should be used wisely. Sea defences?
3. The States looks after the people’s property portfolio. Some of it it gives away (such as our market building), but mostly it fails to manage them properly and lets them deteriorate beyond repair. However, the worst aspect is not looking at the possibilities of such a diverse portfolio.
So back to the Guernsey problem – lack of housing for essential workers. The PEH can only survive with essential workers. How many? What type? What training is needed? Age and family, etc? The Bridge is not the place for nurses, doctors, or consultants to live (maybe with a canoe). They need housing beside their work area to restrict car usage. But where?
The answer – at the PEH. Where? The wasted area from the Oberland’s entrance, containing about 300 car parking spaces in eight, large well-landscaped areas.
It would be too disruptive to now put this underground, but fairly easy to build a deck, in relays, over them and build or place over two-storey apartments and houses. The existing areas are over 20 metres wide. Back-to-back, two-storey, two-bedroom houses, with terrace entrances, would be 7.2m wide and 6m deep (i.e. three car spaces). Apartments would take up either three car spaces for a one-bed or one and a half for a bedsit. But a two-storey would create twice the number of units. The whole area would supply 200 units on approximately 60% of the ground area, leaving existing walkways and landscaped areas. Costs are economical, with the units supplied as flat packs or box sets, excluding the deck they average £100,000.
Ron James
Rocquaine Hall
GY7 9HT